Just Another Case
by Lady LolaBert
Summary: I spent my formative years watching people while they lied to and cheated on and betrayed each other, so the trust thing...it doesn't come naturally ... Ever wondered why that was?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:**** I don't know what I am doing here. I guess, this is just me getting some experience at writing the whole 'detective aspect of things' that is sorely needed in my other VM fic. So, in a nutshell, this is probably just a typical case that Veronica would handle on a day to day basis.  
**

**Disclaimer:**** I don't own Veronica Mars, nor any other characters associated with Rob Thomas' sadly cancelled show.**

**Timeline:**** Veronica is still in high school, although things from S1 or S2 aren't really mentioned here.**

"So I think my husband's having an affair."

Keith Mars sat back in his seat to survey the woman before him, while nodding sympathetically. She had short, dark hair, thin rimmed glasses, was in her mid thirties, and was a little heavyset. She looked both embarrassed and nervous in front of the private investigator, given what she was there for. All of this was understandable to Keith and more importantly, familiar territory to him. He started to take a pen and a folder close to him, about to note some details.

"Tell me about your husband. How you met, how long you've been together, things like that."

As the would-be-divorcer opened her mouth, the door to Keith's office opened.

"Sorry dad, I know I'm not supposed to interrupt, but Michaels is on the line?"

Keith's daughter poked her head into the office and smiled apologetically at her father's new client.

"It's okay. Put Michaels through. But please take –" he paused a moment to look at his file "- Mrs. Thompson's details, would you? Mrs. Thompson, I'm very sorry, but I have to take this call. My assistant here will take down all of your details and I will get back to you as soon as possible." He picked up the phone as Mrs Thompson looked back at Veronica.

_Oh great, it's not like I have enough to do._

[Credits

Veronica smiled at her new client.

"Please come this way Mrs Thompson."

She directed Mrs. Thompson towards the seat in front of her reception desk.

"So tell me about your husband."

She hesitated before beginning, her eyes darting around the office as she spoke.

"Well it was at a charity dinner. At the time, my father nearly forced me to all of those gatherings. It was a bore, having to dress up and watch other people laugh and pretend like they're having a good time when in fact they were all secretly sizing each other up. Gossiping, you know the like? Who has the biggest mansion, the most Aston Martins, the most expensive yacht, things like that."

Veronica nods in what she hopes is in a sincere manner.

_Ah, the Neptune elite and their oh-so-woeful woes._

"I understand Mrs. Thompson – "

"Please, call me Ella."

_Of course, who wouldn't want to disassociate themselves of their cheating husband?_

"How did you meet Alex Thompson, Ella?"

She smiled at the memory.

"My father introduced us. My father and Alex's father had known each other for a long time and dad was always helping out Alex in the company you know?"

Veronica was slightly at a lost. She looked back over at her file, afraid that she had missed a detail. Which company exactly did Ella's dad belong to?

_Wait a minute, Alex Thompson?_

"Mrs. Thompson, is your maiden name Merellen? As in Merellen Real Estate?"

Ella looked slightly taken aback.

"Why yes it is."

Veronica smiled sardonically as her interest was now most certainly piqued.

"Please continue Ella."

"So I met Alex at that stupid charity dinner and six months later we were married."

"Whirlwind courtship huh?"

She blushed slightly. Veronica noticed that confidence wasn't one of Ella's strongest traits and wondered at this. Surely the daughter of a multi-millionaire real estate mogul had to have some spoilt rich girl side to her. But all Veronica could see in front of her was a distraught, almost shy, wife wanting to seek the truth.

_We're all the same when we've been screwed over, never mind how many servants or cars we have._

"You could say that, yes."

"So then what happened?"

"Well, things were fine for a start. He was perfect."

_Definite sign that this guy wasn't for real._

"He was charming, nice, and gentle. He treated me like a princess. 'How I deserve to be treated' my dad would always say."

Veronica jots down a note:

Mentions her father a lot. Father has a strong hold over her. Look into it.

"Things were fine for the eight years we were married. But recently, I've noticed him paying, you know, less attention to me."

Her eyes looked at Veronica pointedly.

"You know, in the bedroom."

Veronica smiled knowingly, bowing her head to indicate that she did.

"He then started to come home at strange hours - that is when he came home. When I asked him about it, he would brush me off saying that it was work. He started to make excuses, being really cagey with me and all that. He's keeping something from me, I know that much."

Ella's eyes glazed over as they focused on the mid air in front of Veronica's laptop.

None of this was new to Veronica. She had lost count of the many faithless spouses she had busted, ever since she had started helping her dad out at the office.

"And I'm guessing that Alex works at the Merellen office downtown?"

"Yes, but we're in different departments, so most of the time we don't really see each other much during work."

_She works there too? Why would she need to? But this could turn out to be easier than I thought. How is it that that isn't even in her file? What would dad do without me?_

Veronica hesitated before asking the next question. She knew never ever to ask clients for any input on the cases, but she just couldn't help herself. This would make everything so much quicker, and she already had enough on her plate. And since her dad still hadn't gotten off the phone with Michaels, she knew that she was to handle this case on her own.

_But isn't it a cardinal law in the world of private dicks never to get the client involved? Guilty conscience and all that jazz?_

_Well, it's not like a written law or anything. And if I don't see anything published, it's up to your own intuition, Mars._

"Is there any way you can get me his daily schedule?"

"I can get you his secretary to print off a hard copy?"

"Way too obvious. Forget that. You have the key to the office right?"

"Yes."

Veronica smiled at Ella.

"Okay then, I'll get a copy of that instead. Now to discuss our fees."

**What do you think? What did you like/dislike about it? Is the plot realistic? Are the characters realistic? Should I change anything?**


	2. Chapter 2

Veronica sat back on her seat sighing happily, after placing the cheque that Ella had just signed and handed to her, onto the desk.

"Mrs Thompson just left?"

Keith opened the door and walked out of his office to get himself some coffee from the small kitchenette.

"Left us with a cheque for $500."

Keith turned back to Veronica with an impressed look on his face.

"I sure hope you weren't swindling a luckless, if naïve lady Veronica."

"Hey, it's not like she can't afford it."

He sighed before going back to making his coffee.

"That's not the point Veronica. Sometimes I don't know where you get all that from" Keith said in a mock serious voice. But the fact was that he knew exactly where she got it from. He often worried that he had forced Veronica to grow up too quickly.

"So what did Michaels practically bite my head off for to get to talk to you?"

"Bail jumper. The usual. Sighted near the border."

But the fact was that he wouldn't have her any other way.

"Well shouldn't you be making a hasty getaway yourself, Speedy Gonzales?"

Keith knew that he wouldn't exchange their easy camaraderie and relaxed relationship for anything in the world.

"Can't I make myself some coffee before you unceremoniously throw me out of my own office? And besides, I didn't want to have Mrs. Thompson interrupted again by my rushing out."

His daughter narrowed her eyes at her father. He was hiding something. She had become quite perceptive of human nature and was more so attuned to her father's 'tells'.

"Right" was all she said in reply.

She would let it rest for a while. If her father was keeping something from her, she had to trust that he was doing it for a reason.

_At least that what I have to keep telling myself more and more these days to keep myself from going out of my mind._

Keith took his mug to Veronica's desk to address her.

"I have my bag packed in there already. It looks like you're going to be handling this case by yourself. To me it looks like the usual. Get the money shot and present it to the wife. No complications."

He approached his daughter to kiss her on the forehead before hugging her.

"Take care Veronica. I'll be back as soon as possible."

"I'll take care of all the travel arrangements for you." He knew that she'd always be there for him infallibly.

"Thanks honey."

He left the office.

But would he always be there for her?

……………..

The very next day, as school let out at three, Veronica drove downtown to the office of one Alex Thompson.

She waited at a discreet distance, keeping a close eye, via her rear view mirror, on his black Jaguar parked in the office parking lot.

Luckily, multi-tasking was one of Veronica's many talents as she took out _Emma _for her English class.

A few pages in, Veronica's cell rang. She looked at the caller ID – Dad.

"Tracked him down yet?"

"And hello to you too sweetie. No I haven't yet. Just called to ask if you were okay."

"I'm fine dad, as always." She smiled at her protective dad.

"Well I am too in case you were wondering. Ah honey, I could be down here for a few days, this guy is proving more elusive than the others."

"Can I help in anyway? This was the tax fraud guy right?"

"No, I'm right. Yeah. Seems like he has an inexhaustible supply of hiding places. Or people willing to hide him."

"Are you sure there's nothing I can do?"

"I'm sure. Make sure you study, do your homework –"

"Yeah, I got it dad."

"How is the Thompson case going?"

"Textbook."

"Well if you need any help, you know where to call me."

"I got it."

"I love you Veronica. Be careful."

"I always am. Love you too dad."

She hung up.

………….

Approaching seven o'clock and suspecting the over friendly Frank Churchill's intentions, Veronica spotted Alex getting out of the office. Putting away _Emma_, Veronica gave her full attention to her rear view mirror.

Mid thirties, designer suit, expensive haircut, Veronica knew the type well.

_Vain, arrogant, sure of himself at his 'success' at such an early age. This _is_ such a textbook case. And like all the rich and snooty guys, his 'success' is mainly due to personal favours that extend to him only because of his personal circumstances. _

She watched as Alex loosened his tie and got into his car, checking his reflection in the mirror as he left the office.

Veronica scrunched her nose.

_Jerk. Well, at least I was right about the vain part. Now where are you off to Mister?_

She followed him for nearly half an hour towards the newly developed Neptune Paradise estate. It was a community of Neptune's non-existent 'middle class'. Those who had means and aspired to be the multi-millionaires they worked for. However, they were not quite there yet and only stood to emulate those who actually had beachfront views. Social climbers, if you will. Veronica stopped her LeBaron at the end of the street of the house that Alex had parked his car in the driveway of.

_Bold, I'll give him that. Usually it's clandestine meetings in roadside motels, away from the prying eyes of neighbours._

Veronica ran the address to find who lived at the house that she had just seen Alex enter.

_Hmm, wife and husband with a kid. Husband works at Merellen Real Estate, one Peter Ribson. Well, that's the connection there I guess. Wife Cheryl was a former model and their seventeen year old daughter Melanie goes to, surprise surprise, Neptune High. Guess Cheryl waits for Peter to leave before conducting her trysts. But at her own house? And what about her kid? _

Veronica left her ponderings as she got to the task at hand. She could hardly knock at the front door, or sneak outside the windows to get the shot. She'd just have to wait until Cheryl Ribson showed herself. Unless … she had to make sure at least … that she wasn't wasting her time …

_There's no car in the driveway. So Peter must be out and Melanie … well it is a Friday night._

… she decided to take a chance.

Veronica looked up the number for the address and dialled on her cell, making sure that the call would be recorded.

"Hello?" the voice sounded out of breath. Veronica made a face before continuing on in a fake chirpy voice.

"Hi! This is Kelly, I'm a friend of Melanie's, is she there?"

There was a pause on the other line.

"This is Melanie. Who did you say this was again?"

_Shit._

Veronica hung up as quickly as she could.

_Well, this is unexpected._

She waited a moment longer, knowing that anything out of the ordinary would certainly rattle Alex enough to leave, whatever they were in the middle of.

Sure enough, only minutes later, Alex came out of the house, fixing up his clothes. He looked to be in a hurry to leave. Veronica poised her SLR out of the window hoping for the chance to see Melanie at the door.

Luckily, just as Alex got to his car, Melanie made a sighting, looking pained. Alex just looked nervously around the dark street as he got into his car and left.

Veronica's phone rang, startling her in the dark of the night. However, she noticed the caller ID before picking it up, recognising it as the she had just called.

_I am getting sloppy. Should've used the untraceable cell._

She quickly switched it off, before it got to her voicemail.

_I think I've screwed up._

**Thoughts?** _  
_


	3. Chapter 3

Despite the few hours of stolen sleep the night before, school beckoned and Veronica was there bright and early the next day.

Okay, bright might be a bit of an overstatement. More like cranky and tired.

Veronica used her plastic fork to stab her meatloaf with a vehemence that was noted.

"Something on your mind Veronica?" Wallace asked.

"Mmm, just the usual."

This was truer than she thought at the time. It was just another night in the world where people betrayed and backstabbed one another. And Veronica was just another observing bystander, too used to it all to be even surprised anymore.

"Then what has that poor, innocent meatloaf done to you to be deserved to be injured in such a brutal manner?" he asked jokingly.

Veronica took a deep sigh and smiled.

"Do you know a Melanie Ribson at this school? Junior?"

"I think she's on the swim team."

This case of hers was too much like Lilly's. High school student having an affair with an older, married man? Life was just a continual repeat of mundane events that only differered in the small and trivial details.

Veronica cocked her head to the side and had opened her mouth, but Wallace wisely intercepted her next words with -

"And this is the part where you ask me for a favour right?" he asked resignedly. "Permanent record?"

"Do I even need to say anything?"

"No. But you could reward me at some future date."

"I'll bake you a fresh batch of snickerdoodles. How does that sound?"

She sometimes wished that she could tell Wallace exactly what was bothering her. But she knew that he had already heard this tale one too many times and was sick of it. _She_ had heard it so many times to be sick of it herself. However, this time the philandering spouse was seeing an _underaged_ floozy. Those were rare, if sordid and somewhat tawdry.

Wallace laughed. "Snickerdoodles it is then. I'll hold you to that Veronica Mars."

……………

Throughout the day, Veronica's cell kept on ringing. Once, when caught off guard, Veronica actually answered it to a snotty voice, irately saying that she was going to keep calling with different numbers until she slipped up. Unnerved, Veronica bought herself a new SIM and texted all her contacts with her new number.

……………

Her meeting with Ella went slightly better than her night before.

Slightly.

"I have pictures Mrs Thompson, but I don't think it's enough. I've put a tracker on his car, so I should know where he's headed to."

Ella was seated on the couch, clutching her purse protectively towards her. She nodded her understanding. Her eyes were red from an unhealthy routine of crying herself to a few hours of sleep.

Veronica's voice softened as she broke the next part to her client. These parts of her job were never easy.

"Do you know a Peter Ribson, Ella?"

"Yes." Her voice cracked. "He works with us. Um, I've met him a few times. He's a good guy. His wife was a former model … er they have a daughter right? In high school or something. " her voice trailed off as her brow crinkled in confusion.

"Well, his daughter, Melanie, I think she's the one who has been seeing your husband Ella." Veronica said gently, handing her the pictures.

Ella's face was a mask of shock and confusion. She took the files in numb fingers, thumbing through them but not really seeing them.

"But she's only …"

"Seventeen. Yes. She's a junior at Neptune High."

"She's almost twenty years younger than Alex! She's underage! That's statutory rape. This is it isn't it? We've finally got him."

Her eyes shone with a mixture of excitement, and what Veronica was sure, of tears. It was a pitiful faced that looked up from the couch to Veronica's uncomfortable expression. She was so sure. She was finally going to divorce this scumbag, she deserved better than him. But some part of Veronica made her speak out against this.

"No, wait Mrs Thompson. You need more evidence. If I turn out to be mistaken –"

"Then what? I divorce him. I lose nothing. It's him that's the one who stands to lose if I divorce him. He's the one who married into money!" she stood up, enraged, still holding the photos.

"Mrs Thompson, please. Please let me continue on with this case. The evidence is … circumstantial at best. It's not true that you lose nothing if you divorce him."

_Great, playing marriage counsellor are we Mars?_

Veronica had no idea why she was trying to save this marriage. Giving this cheating scumbag a chance when it was so clear, to her at least, that he was a philandering bastard who married this naïve, self-conscious woman to get a promotion from her father.

"Just give me a few more days. That's all I need. And wouldn't you rather be 100 sure before you act on this information?" she placated Ella.

Ella, still breathing heavily, conceded to sit down again.

"You're right. You're right. I was … acting out a bit I guess. Okay, I won't say anything just yet.

Veronica was somewhat taken aback at how easy this woman was to persuade. This pliability surely had been manipulated many times over the past years for some unscrupulous individual's personal gain.

She felt slightly ill at having convinced her so easily. As a P.I. it wasn't her business what the client did with the gathered evidence. But something was nagging Veronica's conscience. Perhaps there was still some part of her that truly believed that Alex wasn't cheating on Ella. That this was all some large misunderstanding. Childish, really.

Veronica had nothing to say. Instead, she cleared her throat and continued on.

"As I said before, I'm tracking his every movement and will continue with this investigation. I'll inform you of any new information that I get."

Ella still looked shocked and somewhat angry, holding the photos in her hands of the rumpled looking Melanie at the door of her house, watching Alex getting into his car in the middle of the night. Veronica gently took the photos from her hands as Ella seemed to get her self together, focussing her eyes back to Veronica.

"Right. Okay. Yes. Well, I'll be sure to tell you anything unusual that happens." She gathered her things haphazardly, about to leave. She was at the door before she paused and turned around.

"Oh, something unusual did happen this morning. A parcel came in the mail for him. It was a pair of cufflinks. Expensive looking, he said it was a gift from his mother, but he wouldn't show me the card that went along with it. He took it with him before I got a chance to look at it –"

"I sent it. They're bugged with listening devices. Make sure he wears them."

"Thanks Veronica" she said gratefully before leaving. A defeated woman.

………………

That night, Veronica's locator on Alex's car surprised her for it did not lead towards Neptune Paradise, but to the Camelot Motel.

_Old grounds._

As she had done many a time, Veronica staked out the cheap motel rooms, this time parking round the back, knowing that the room that Alex had just entered, could be better viewed, and therefore photographed, from there.

_Unoriginal choice Melanie. Safer than your own home, true, but way too easy for a seasoned veteran like me._

People never ever regarded the back windows, often leaving the curtains open. Veronica hoped that this was one of those times because she was tired, had a mountainous pile of homework still to do and the night was getting a little cold.

It was her lucky night. She viewed Alex entering the room first, leading a second individual towards the bed, from the uncurtained back window. However, the woman in the room with Alex was not the seventeen year old Melanie. No, it was someone else, someone she didn't recognise. However, she looked generic enough. Tall, blonde, skinny, leggy.

Moments later, they started to do what they had paid a room for the hour to do. Getting the requisite shots in various compromising positions, Veronica had had enough, leaving the couple to their own devices for the night as she set off to the office to print out her photos.

…………….

Veronica had just finished cropping and touching up the incriminating photos before hitting print. She sat back to stretch into her chair and got up to retrieve the pictures from the printer in her dad's office.

Her dad's table was always a mess so she, helpful assistant and caring daughter, went to tidy it up a bit. Shuffling papers around, she soon came across a file with the Merellen Real Estate logo on it. Picking it up, she read over it and realised that this was the tax fraud guy her father was trying to track down. She read on to find that he was once a former employee of Merellen, fairly high up before getting busted for overstating his tax returns. Sentenced for a fiver, he'd wigged out and decided to run.

_Did dad know that Ella was once a Merellen? If so, why wasn't it on the file? Why didn't he tell me? I could've helped him._

She picked up the phone to call her dad, before thinking better of it.

_If he didn't tell me, I'll have to believe there's a reason for it._

She sighed angrily. But now that she knew, it'd criminal of her to sit on this information when she could help her dad right?

_It's way too late for this and I still have that English assignment to start._

Veronica decided to listen to that internal monologue of hers tonight and start her homework, putting all matters of private investigation out of her mind, when a key fell out of her schoolbag. Picking it up, she realised that it was the master key she had copied off Mrs Thompson that opened all the locks in the Merellen office. She had used it to get access to the daily schedule of Alex Thompson one late night.

She grinned wryly. It was like a sign from a higher entity.

_Looks like I'll be paying one more late night visit to the office then._

………………..

Taking the back entrance, Veronica made her way quickly through the dark office easily, having done it once before. Thanking the fact that she memorised the floor plan, she directed her steps towards the filing rooms using the faint streetlights outside the windows to guide her. Quickly checking that there was no one around, she used her blessed master key to enter the door.

There she felt safe to turn on the lights, and went to one of the many rows of beige and indistinguishable filing cabinets to the one that housed the file of one A.S. Williams. Getting out a set of keys that included one that should get into any filing cabinet made after '96, she located the file easily and shoved it into her bag.

…………………

Veronica emailed the scanned copies of the file to her father, hoping that the long list of properties that Williams oversaw in Southern California would help him.

Then she went to bed.

It had been a long day.

**Review me...you know you want to!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: I am so sorry for the ridiculously long wait between updates.**

**This is the second to last chapter.**

Veronica practically sleep-walked to third period.

"Earth to Mars, earth to Mars!" someone yelled into her ear.

"I'm here Wallace!"

"Doesn't look like it. You look like the walking dead. What did you do last night?"

Veronica smiled humourlessly.

"Battling Gotham City's most evil in the act?" she countered.

Wallace shrugged, knowing that this was one of those times where he just shouldn't ask.

They walked a few more steps in companionable silence before Veronica broke it.

"Hey, I'll see you in Biology, gotta go to the bathroom."

"Want me to take your books for you?" asked Wallace.

"Well ain't you a fine gentleman?" she southern accent-ed, giving him a sleepy smile as well as her heavy textbook that try as she might, failed to co-operate into fitting into her bag.

Wallace made a flourishing bow before walking away.

Veronica stared after him somewhat wistfully as she made her way to the girls bathroom. She wished she could tell Wallace all about the sordid doings of her clients. But there was that whole client confidentiality thing for starters. And then there was the fact that some part of her wanted to keep Wallace away from the sordid doings of her clients.

…………

Veronica was inspecting the heavy bags under her eyes in the mirror when the door burst open, banging loudly as it bounced off the wall. Veronica looked into the mirror at the reflection of none other than Melanie Ribson.

She was one of those 09-er wannabes. While her parents didn't exactly make the yearly sum to make 09-er status, it was enough to give girls like Ribson a sense that they could get away with the behaviour of an 09-er. Basically, she was a bitch.

"Veronica Mars" she sneered in all her short-skirted glory.

"Melanie Ribson." Veronica warily replied back, unaware of how this was all going to play out.

"You are a nosy one Veronica, along with everything else that you are, I'll give you that."

"Thanks," Veronica replied sarcastically before turning and facing her, fixing Melanie with a cold stare.

Melanie looked shaken and since she'd made that dramatic entrance into the girl's bathroom, started to look uncomfortable. Clearly her resolve was somewhat stunned.

_God, I love how I have that effect on people._

Melanie started to stumble over her words.

"Why did you ring me in the middle of the night pretending to be my "friend" Kelly?"

_I can't believe she just did that air quote thing with her fingers._

Veronica knew that she'd been caught. There was no way that she could deny that it was her.

She decided to go on the offensive.

"And why was a thirty-six year old married man in your house at the middle of the night Melanie?"

Melanie blanched. "She hired you didn't she? That cow, his wife? I knew it!" practically shrieking the last part.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? You're sleeping with a married man! You're underage!"

Veronica had no idea why she was even asking her this. She really couldn't care less. Despite the many cases that she had handled, she still couldn't understand why someone would want to purposely ruin someone else's marriage.

She put it down to the general assholish-ness of human behaviour.

Melanie sneered back at Veronica, and said derisively "I give him what he wants. He wants something pretty and skinny to fuck. It's something that he can't get at home."

Veronica could only look disgusted as she tried to make her way out.

"She hired you didn't she? Just tell me that. She hired you to follow him around and take pictures of us right?"

Veronica had gotten to the door by then. She set her jaw, refrained from rolling her eyes and said "You think you're the only one he _fucks _when he finishes work?" before pushing the stunned Melanie and getting out the door.

………………..

Her meeting with Mrs Thompson was to take place that afternoon at a small café, a few blocks away from the office. However, she soon received a text from Ella, wanting a change in the meeting place, making her instantly suspicious. If Melanie knew of her involvement in this matter, who's to say that Alex himself didn't?

She decided not to show up to the meeting.

……………….

Veronica was back in the Mars Investigations office that afternoon, taking calls while trying to get her homework done. She received a text from her father.

Got him. Thanks for the files. Don't want to know how you got them. Hope ur safe. See you 2night.

Veronica laughed happily at both the relief that her father was okay and at his usage of text speech.

Putting her earphones on to her iPod, Veronica went back to her English assignment on _Emma_.

She was halfway through arguing some pointless characterisation's of Harriet Smith when someone walked in.

_Woah._

None other than Alex Thompson walked into the office. He smiled at Veronica who quickly took her earphones out. She swore she had put the closed sign and locked the door …

"Hello. This is Mars Investigations right?"

He smiled smoothly at her before looking her up and down that made Veronica's stomach tighten with disgust. This guy was way too slimy. She plastered a perky smile on her face that hid her revulsion.

"That's right. How can I help you? I'm afraid Mr. Mars is out at the moment, but I am happy to take any messages for him."

"Thank you. Actually you are the one that I am looking for Veronica."

Veronica's fake smile dropped a sixteenth of an inch.

"Oh?"

"Oh." He sat down and leant back into the chair, staring at her with his head tipped back. She despised the way that he was practically undressing her with his eyes and the smirk that was playing on his lips.

_Okay, so he is quite something. I'll give the sleazy bastard that._

"I want to know Veronica, what to do with a video of you breaking and entering into the Merellen offices at 3 am last night."

_There are no security cameras in the offices. Ella assured me of that._

Veronica's seasoned poker face was held in place.

_Think quick Mars!_

She took a deep breath and played her next card. Leaning forward and placing her elbows onto the table across each other to support herself, she narrowed her eyes at him to ask "And I want to know Mr Thompson, what to do with photos of you in very compromising positions with a one Miss Jennifer Marsh; twenty two year old blonde at the Camelot Motel? I'm sure your wife would be very interested in seeing those pictures."

He didn't move an inch, except for a small twitch that did nothing to wipe the smirk from his face that Veronica so wanted to smash with her Biology textbook.

"Ella will never divorce me."

"You sure of that Mr Thompson?"

He let out a laugh, smiling before looking down and facing Veronica directly in a way that made her hackles go up.

"Ella listens to her father. And her father knows of my indiscretions. She'll do as she's told. Now the question remains, what am I to do with this video of you Miss Mars?"

She sat back and took a breath, surveying this distasteful man before her, practically flaunting the fact that he was having multiple affairs and a subordinate wife that he can control to his will.

"Why did you come here Mr Thompson? What exactly do you want?"

"I want any trace of evidence that you've got relating to my personal business."

"You mean of the ones where you're sleeping with a seventeen year old?"

His benign, and somewhat sleazy, facade faltered as he started to look scared. But he managed to pull it together, having the gall to look unashamed.

"The very ones Miss Mars," he replied.

"But if you're so sure that these photos of mine can do you no damage, then why are you so anxious to get them?"

"I'm a very thorough man. I like to have all my loose ends tied up."

"Clearly you take your work very close to heart right?"

"Right."

"And what do I get in return?"

"Why, the video of course."

"And who's to say that you won't have made a copy of it? At best, all you're offering is a stalemate between us."

Throughout the exchange, neither one of them had broken eye contact, but at this, Alex looked down before looking back up at her from underneath his eyelashes.

"True, but that is the best either of us can obtain out of this situation. If there is one word of wisdom I can offer you from my years of experience is that you can't win them all. As to whether believing I haven't made a copy of the tape? Faith" he said getting up, as if this discussion were over. "Faith in the human spirit Miss Mars. Meet me tonight at eight by the Pier. Don't be late." He left the office with his sanctimonious smirk held firmly in place.

_Faith? Either he's delusional or insane. And he doesn't know his wife either._

**Review me?**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: This is it folks! Thank you so much for reading!**

"I don't understand Mrs Thompson. I have all the evidence you need. He is cheating on you. With two, if not more women!"

"I know it's just…"

"He got to you didn't he?"

"What? No! I don't know what you mean!" the older woman stuttered nervously under the gaze of the angry eighteen year old in front of her.

It was 7 pm at the Hut. Either Alex told his wife to go and meet Veronica or Veronica got lucky in sneaking Mrs Thompson out of the house, Veronica was now heavily suspecting the former. With sinking spirits, she continued to urge Ella.

"Look. Alex came to see me today. I don't know what he told you, but he practically said that he was sure you'd never divorce him. You can't let this guy push you around! You came to me. You hired me to catch Alex in the act. And now I have. You have all the proof. You deserve to be treated better Ella."

Ella looked around nervously before continuing in a whisper.

"You don't get it. My father was the one who wanted us to marry. If it weren't for Alex, I'd have no-one."

_Good Christ, she's one of those._

Sighing impatiently, Veronica berated herself for judging this woman so harshly.

_So she's insecure. A product of her father's bullying. And this jackass Alex has led her to believe that she's worthless without him. God, why am I even surprised at this anymore? It's not like I haven't seen worse._

Slowly, but surely, it dawned on Veronica that this was a lost cause. This woman had thirty plus years of conditioning on her. There was nothing that Veronica could say to change her mind. Sometimes, you just have to let things be. No matter how much it sucked.

"Look, I'll pay you the rest of your fee. You did exactly as I had asked you. It's the least I can do."

As Ella sadly got up to leave, Veronica bitterly added.

"Tell your husband that I'll have the photos for him tonight."

………

Half an hour later, Veronica had already made it to the pier. She sat in her car for a moment, not wanting to leave its relative warmth and brave the wind.

She shuffled through the photos and the recordings of Alex and Jennifer before placing them all in a large yellow folder. She took a deep resigning breath and got out of her car.

_Suck it up Mars. It's your fault that Ella didn't go through with it. You had the perfect opportunity the first time. She was all set and ready. And then you had to open your stupid trap, going on about needing more evidence. Face it, you didn't need more evidence, you were hoping it weren't true. That Alex would be repentant and that they'd end up happily ever after didn't you? That they'd get over this little hurdle and end up with a stronger and more faithful marriage._

Veronica felt sick with herself.

Luckily, she didn't have to wait long before Alex arrived, interrupting her train of self loathing thoughts.

"Windy night," he smiled at her through this pleasantry as if this were nothing more than a casual afternoon stroll. Veronica only glared back at him.  
"You have the video?"

"Yes. And I'm supposing what you're holding there is for me?"

Veronica hesitated before stepping forward and handing the folder to him. He handed the small video tape to her. That was it.

"Well, I hope never to see you again Veronica. Good night."

_Bastard. Okay, cheap shot, but still applicable here._

………………..

As Veronica walked wearily through the door of her home, she felt slightly better at hearing her father's voice.

"You look exhausted. Here, have some dinner."

"Hey dad."

He walked straight to her from the kitchen to give her a hug and a kiss.

"I've made my famous mac and cheese!"

"The orange powder variety?"

"The very one."

Veronica smiled wearily and took the proffered bowl of microwaved goodness. Sighing, she made her way to the couch and stared zombie-like at the television screen. Keith, who had followed her with his own bowl, looked concerned at the sight of his daughter absently spooning food into her mouth.

"Something the matter honey?" he asked her carefully after a while.

Keeping her eyes on the television, Veronica shook her head and made a noise in her throat that faintly sounded like "nuh uh."

A moment passed before Veronica spoke again.

"It was the Thompson case. Wife decides to not use the proof that her husband is a philandering bastard to divorce him. Intrepid teenage P.I. goes home tired at fruitless day."

"We got the money right?"

Veronica gave him a look.

"Is that the point?"

"It is when you're in this business. Veronica, we cannot get involved personally in cases like these. We work for our clients, we do what they ask us to, and that's it."

Veronica didn't bother to argue. She knew this. She knew all of this. But over the past few years, she was getting a little weary of not being able to see a happy ending.

_And what would be the happy ending here Veronica? Ella divorces Alex, Alex is left in the street with nothing and Ella picks up the pieces and begins a fabulous new life with a deserving man?_

Please.

_There aren't such things as happy endings. We just have to go on and do the best that we can in this sordid world._

**A/N: Again, thanks to all those who read this!**

**No clever Veronica Mars-esque escape this time, just the harsh and bitter truth of reality.**


End file.
